


Mercy Kill

by Fantine_Black



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Child Neglect, Family Secrets, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Loss of Parent(s), Memories, Memory Loss, Mind Manipulation, Morally Ambiguous Character, Mother-Son Relationship, Mutant Rights, Past Domestic Violence, Pre-Canon, Short, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-29 20:58:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12093294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantine_Black/pseuds/Fantine_Black
Summary: Cold, acerbic, hurtful - Sharon Xavier is all these things, and a terrible judge of character to boot - see one Kurt Marko. But she's also a good mother. And somehow, that has made  everything worse.





	Mercy Kill

‘I’m here to talk about the arrangements,’ Charles said.

Sharon raised her eyebrows. ‘In that case, your journey has been wasted,’ she said. ‘Though I suspect that’s what you’ve been thinking anyway.’

Charles pressed his lips together. ‘Must we?’ he said softly. ‘Must we, Mother, truly?’

Sharon raised her head. ‘Apparently. Since you did not even see fit to enquire after my health.’

‘And be accused of wasting your time?’ Charles said. ‘I naturally want you to be comfortable, Mother. As I said, that’s why I’m here.’

‘Indeed,’ she said. ‘You’re never here without an agenda.’

‘An agenda.’ Charles closed his eyes. ‘An agenda?’ When Sharon remained impassive, he cleared his throat. ‘For the sake of argument, Mother, how would you have reacted if I had not invited you to attend my inauguration?’

‘That is neither here nor there.’ Sharon pursed her lips. ‘As it stands, Charles, I will not be travelling all the way to Oxford to attend a lecture on a topic I have no interest in. Understandable, surely, given my condition?’

Charles sighed. ‘Please tell me you’re enjoying this,’ he said softly. ‘Please tell me your loving this, watching me squirm.’

‘ “Love” Charles,’ she said. ‘No need for the gerund.’

Charles turned around. ‘Style over substance,’ he said eventually. ‘That’s you in a nutshell, isn’t it, Mum?’

He saw her eyes glisten. ‘Bravo,’ she said. ‘Well done, Charles, making me even more miserable than before.’

That scarcely seemed possible. Despite all the florals in the room (both real and embroidered), the premium view, personal attendance and all the non-alcoholic comforts money could buy, there was no disguising the fact that Sharon was wasting away. Why did dying people always smell? Even Brian had, though his attitude towards the whole business had been markedly different. Charles had been dreaming about him a lot in the past few weeks.

He sat down next to his mother’s raised mattress. ‘I’d long given up the notion that I had the power to influence your state of mind.’

She nearly snarled. ‘Don’t be obscene!’

He blinked, but she kept glaring at him. He cleared his throat.

‘Would you like some water, or – ’

She sat up. ‘Why must you flaunt it?’ she spat.

‘Flaunt…?’

Could skin get yellower with rage? His mother almost pulled out an oxygen tube in her haste to bend over. ‘You didn’t turn out right, Charles, it happens. But you could have shown a little discretion – ’

Not this again! ‘Gabrielle went back to Israel – ’

‘I don’t care if you’re a poof!’ She fell back. ‘Most grow out of it, but – Charles, a professor, at your age – why couldn’t you wait?’

Charles stood up. ‘Wait for what, exactly, Mother?’

‘Was it the money?’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Come now, Charles, you can’t have been in that great a need of validation!’

He stared at her.

‘How long have you known?’

She shrugged. ‘I’m your mother.’

He bent over, fighting back tears. ‘How long have you known?’

She smiled. ‘You might say that Raven confirmed it.’

‘She didn’t –’

She shook her head. ‘You must have attracted her in some way. Children don’t normally materialise in my kitchen. Why did you think I let you keep her?’

Charles sank back. ‘I… You –’ He stared at her. ‘I told you. I told you about Marko and you wouldn’t believe me.’

‘I did believe you.’

‘Then –Why him? Why did you let him treat you that way?’

‘Why did you?’

Charles narrowed his eyes. ‘You willingly married an abusive bastard and you’re blaming me.’

Sharon lay back and closed her eyes. ‘Always the moral high ground,’ she said. ‘Haven’t you once considered I was trying to help you? You and Raven?’

‘You have given me very little reason to.’

 She barked out a laugh, which soon turned into a couching fit. In spite of himself, Charles wrapped an arm around her back before holding a glass of water to her lips.

Sharon looked up at him. ‘Thank you, Brian.’

Charles let her go. ‘How were you trying to help, then?’ he said after he’d put the glass of water on the nightstand.

Sharon blinked. ‘Do you think,’- another rasping breath- ‘any other doctor would have let you be?’

‘We didn’t need a doctor.’

‘Of course you did.’ She turned her head away. ‘The thoughts in your head – you were quite mad at times, Charles. At least the sleeping pills helped.’

Charles frowned. ‘Any doctor could have given me those. For any reason.’

‘We needed a cure.’

‘You what?’

His voice was very soft, and Sharon lifted her head. ‘I wanted you to have a good life, my boy, not plagued by other people’s nightmares. Marko could help – ’

‘The only thing Marko did was beat you half to death every time he wanted money!’

‘He helped to rein you in – ’

‘He _drugged_ me?’

‘More than once, and Raven too,’ Sharon said. ‘She was all over the place at sixteen. She needed it more than you did.’ She smirked. ‘But no, you never had asthma.’

He clenched a fist. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? Why turn us into his lab rats?’

‘Anyone else would have sold you to an institution for a research grant!’ Sharon spat. ‘Marko needed my money more! And even if he failed – ’

‘Yes!’ Charles bit back. ‘Because he did fail, Mother, Raven is magnificent, I will not let anyone alter her for any reason – ’

 ‘And you think that is a good thing?’ Sharon’s voice took on a pleading tone. ‘Charles, if what you write is true, you’re not a human being. That gives you fewer rights than a thoroughbred.’

Charles looked away. ‘I can take care of myself.’

‘Then stop painting it red!’ She sat up again. ‘Refuse the professorship. Switch majors. Get out of academia!’

He shook his head. ‘I couldn’t, Mother. Not for the wide world.’ He stroked her hair. ‘We are the next phase of human evolution. I have to show the world that that’s a good thing.’

‘They’ll come for you,’ she said softly.

‘Don’t worry, Mummy.’ He put two fingers to her temple. ‘Don’t worry, dear.’

It would leave gaps, he knew, they’d likely blame on Korsakov. But he took her doubts and fears, took the worst of her pain. Left a normal, if eccentric son, an adopted daughter – a husband, though abusive, whom she had dearly loved.

There were worse lives to have lived.


End file.
